miller



April 30, 1935. Hfw. MILLER 19,552

- DIRECTION SIGNAL Original Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l I April 0, 1935. H. w. MILLER DIRECTION SIGNAL Original Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissues! Apr. 30, 1935 Re,

nmnc'rron SIGNAL Herbert W. Miller, Beverly Hills, Calif alaignor to United Lens Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Delaware Orilhlll Nos 1,828,119, dated October 30,1931, Serlal No. 369,672, June 10, 1929. Application for I July 5, 1932, Beth! N0. W31

13 Claims. (01. 111-321) Thialnventionrelates to visual signals and is embodyi my invention illustrating the s1 more particularly related to a direction and stop as actuated to indicate a right turn. simialadaptedtobemountedupon-amotorve- Figure2isasimilarfrontelevationotasignal hicle inpmition to permit vision of the direction device illustrating the signal as actuated to indisignal from various positions. the devices prefcake a left turn. I

arably being mountedon thewindshield or frame Figure 8 is a similar front elevation of the of a motor vehicle in position to permit the vision signal as ac u t to a n r p nofv the signal device by the operator as well as Figure 4 is an edge -elevation thereof. from the front and rear of the vehicle. Figure 5 is'a'sectional edge elevation thereof.

In accordance with the established practice, Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional front eleva 1 the motor vehicle driver when desiring to turn tion of the signal device embodyin my inveneither to the right or left gives a signal with his tionhand. This hand or arm signaling requires that Figure 'I is a detached view of one of the vane the operator of the motor vehicle release with at members embodying .my inventio least one hand the steering wheel and operate In the preferred embodiment of this invention 15 the vehicle when making a turn with a single illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I inhand. When driving closed motor vehicles it is dicates a housing in which thereismounted a, not possible to make a signal with the hand or frame 2 consisting of spaced framexmembers '3 arm. and even though such signals may be reheld in spaced relation by means of a spacer 4.

quired by the law, the signaling is many times The frame members 3 may bestamped out of avoided because of the inability of the operator sheet metal or the like and are provided with a. to mate the signal at the required moment, central openin i in which a lamp I is mounted. either because of the fact that the car is com- Secured to h pp s f ce of the frame mempletely closed or the operator requires two hands bers 3 are sheets of translucent material 1 which to correctly operate the vehicle. without endandiffuse h li h produced by the lamp 6. The ring mm en, v sheets of material I are preferably white or of Signaling in the daytime by means of an arm a i ht c o t orm a bac und against which or hand is satisfactory to a degree. The same the indicia are formed by means of vanes 8. signal iven at night is not satisfactory to the Th va s 0. of h h th r ar f ur. ar posi- 39 m degree due to the fact that the operator's tioned within the 110081118 and formed with 8. arm is not as visible at night and also because particular indlcia forming confi uration as inof glares of lights coming from the opposite dicated, and these vanes are ope v ly 0onrection. street lights and the light which pracnccted to er in Such a anner that on actutieally make the operator's arm invisible to the ation the vanes may move into a position in m;- 1 another motor vehicle proceeding which their configuration forms indicia in the 35 either in the opposed'direction or in the same embodiment illustrated representing the arrow 9,

' as illustrated in Figure 1, indicating a right turn states have enacted laws requiring the or an arrow II, as illustrated in Figure 2, indiuseof signals for indicating right and left turns eating a left n- T v n 3 m y als be 40 t be mud upon l d r moved to a neutral position where they indicate 40 It is therefore an object of this invention to that the vehicle may be either traveling strai h provide a signal device which is operative both ahead or may indicate that the vehicle is to stop. durlng the day and night to produce a signal or when used as a stop signal, the light! is illumiindioia which will indicate that the vehicle is nated with the signal displaying a plain figure stopping or indlcatethe direction of travel of vas illustrated at H in Figure 3. 45

the motor vehicle and which employs a plurality The vanes 8 may preferably be formed with at shutters operative to form indlcia against a. dark colored nap surfaces so that a dark and white or similarly light-colored background. light combination is preferably formed between other objects and advantages of this lnventhe vanes and the background 1 formed immedi- 59 tlonlit is believed will be apparent from the ately to the rear of the vanes 8. The vanes 8 description of a preferred emthus outline the indicia or arrows I and ill or borfllient thereof as illustrated in the accomtheneutralsignal ll oil-mores.-

drawlngs. v Mounted on opposed faces of the housing I are drawings: convex glass plates II which are convex to pre- 5 more 1 is a front elevation of a signal device vent glare of sunlight or the like and permit the vision of the signals formed by the vanes 8 at all times when the signal device is mounted upon a motor vehicle. The signal device thus formed is mounted upon a motor vehicle on the frame of the vehicle or upon the windshield mounted ad- Jacent the drivers seat of the vehicle so that the signal may be viewed from both front and rear of the vehicle and may also be viewed by the driver thereof.

In this signal a separate set of vanes 8 are used at the front and at the rear of the signal forming the direction arrows 8, I8 or the neutral signal II at both the front and the rear of the housing I.

The means herein illustrated for forming indicia 8, I8 and I I with the vanes 8 arepreferably of the following construction:v

The vanes 8 are secured to shafts I3, I4, I5 and I6 within the housing I in advance of the translucent screens 1. Each vane 81s preferably .of the sameconstruction and includes a body II, a tail-piece I8 and an. inclined divider arm I 8. The vanes 8 are for forming each arrow 8 or I801- the neutral signal II mounted in pairs A and'B. The use of the tail member I8.and the divider plates I8 enables the vane members 8 to form the entire signals, either the arrows 8 or I8, the neutral signal II, entirely independently of the housing I forminga complete outline of black against the contrasting white or lightcolored background formed by the screen I. The pair of vanes A in one position as illustrated in Figure 1 form anopening giving the complete the arrowhead. In this position the notches on each side of the tail members l8 of the vanes 8* of the pair B form an opening representing the point or apex of the arrow head. 1 In order to accomplish this each vane is provided with a plurality of notches I84: and I8b separated by the tail piece I8.

When thevanes 8 are actuated thevanes of the pairs A and B are reversed in position so that the vanes of each pair A and B perform the reverse function: forming: the arrow indicating another direction of travel.

In order to actuate the vanes 8 to the positions to indicate the different signals, means are employed including the gear segment 2I which is rigidly secured to the shaft I3 in position to mesh with gear segments 22 and 28 carried on the shaft I4 and upon the idler shaft 24, The idler gear segment 23 meshes with the idler gear segment 25 secured to the shaft I5, which in turn meshes with a gear segment, 26 secured to the shaft I6. The vanes 8 mounted upon the outside faces of the screen I are secured to the shafts I3, I4, I5 and I6 in position-so that when one of-the shafts I3 is actuated theentire set of vanes will move to form the different signals. Secured to one of the vanes 2| or to the shaft I 3. to which the vane 2| is secured is an arm 21 which is operated by suitable means as by being connected at its outer end with a Bowden wire 28. The Bowden wire 28 extends through a flexible tube 28 to a point of access by the driver of the motor vehicle. Anysui'table or desirable form of handle or operating means may be secured to opposite endof the Bowden wire 28 and positioned within easy access of the driverof the motor vehicle.

, sponding contacts ments In order to light the lamp 6 when the right and left direction arrows 8 and I8 are formed and only when the said signals are formed, I provide a contact switch consisting of contacts 28 which are secured to a contact arm 38 connected with a current supply conduit 3|. The contacts 28 are positioned so that they opm'ate as stops for the segments 22 and 26, and when the corre- 32 carried by the gear seg- 22 and 26 are moved to the position occupied by these contacts when the gear segments have been moved to rotate the vanes 8 to position to form the arrows 8 and I8, a circuit will be completed through the conduit 3| and a ground formed by the ground connection between the casing I and the remainder of the ground circuit of the motorvehicle. The conduit 3I is connected with the'electri'c cord 33 carrying two conductors that connect respectively to the terminals of a double knife switch 34 carried by the socket 35, within which the lamp 6 is mounted. The knife switch 34 is providedrfor the purpose of the easy removaland replacement of the lamp 6 within the housing I when desired. In order to permit this operation, the socket 35 plate 36 secured to the ho I by'means of a pair of screws 31. The socketand lamp may thus be removed from the housing I by removal of the screws 31 and the knife blade 38 will break its contact with the knife switch 34 and when inserted in position the knife blade '38 will complete the circuit to the lamp '6 by contacting the knife switch 34 when the circuit is completed through the switches formed by the contacts 28 and 32 carried by the vanes 22 and 26 respectively.

Any other suitable or desirable form of switch means may be provided for completing the electric circuit to the lamp 6 when the vanes '8 have been moved to the required positions to form the arrows 8 or I8.

The lamp 6 may be connected also in a circuit with a switch formed by the'brake pedal of the motor vehicle. in a manner well understood in the art so that when the vanes 8 are moved to the be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A signal including two pairs of pivotally mounted vanes, one pair of the vanes being formed with notches in their edges cooperating to form an opening representing the shank of an arrow in one position and the other pair of vanes having notches in their edges rendering them capable in acorresponding position to cooperate with the first pair of vanesto form an opening representing the head of an arrow, said vanes being formed so that when moved to an opposite position the notches in the edges of the first pair of vanes cooperate with the notches in the edges of the second pair of vanes to form an opening representing the head and shaft of an arrow facing in an opposite direction.

2. In a signal, the combination of four movable vane members, means for connecting, the vane members together, and each vane member being formed of abody, a tail member andza divider plate and the vane members in combination outlining a direction arrow when actuated toone is mounted upon a position and outlining a second arrow reverse in IE direction, in one of said positions defining arrow.

3. In a signal device,

in a second position, said divider plates the point of an the combination of a housing; a plurality of vanes constantly in view mounted within the housing; means including a plurality of gear segments operatively connecting said vanes so that they all move in unison; and means for actuating the gear segments to move said vanes to a plurality of positions, said vanes having edges with a correlated form enabling the same to cooperate to form openings between the vanes, representing direction signals.

4. In a signal, the combination of a housing, spaced screens mounted within the housing, lighting means positioned between the screens, a set of pivoted vane members positioned within the housing outside of each of the screens and each set of vane members including four vanes,

means connecting the vanes together to rotate in unison and thevanes being so formed that when moved to diflerent positions, they are all visible and define openings formed between the edges of the vanes against the screens in the shape of arrows indicating different directions.

5. In a signal, the combination of tour movable vane members, means for connecting the vane members together, each vane member being formed of a body, a tail member and a divider plate, and the vane members while'all in view outlining a direction arrow when actuated to one position and outlining a second arrow reversed in direction in a second position, and stop means for positioning the vane members in positions to outline the said arrows.

6. In a signal, the combination of afixed casing, four vane members mounted therein, means for connecting the vane members together, each vane member being formed of a body, a tail member and a divider plate, lighting means positioned in the casing behind the said vane members, said vane members cooperating with each other to form an opening completely defined by the vane members, and the lighting means to outline a translucent direction arrow when actuated to one position and outlining a second translucent arrow when actuated to a second position.

'1. In a signal device, the combination of a housing, a plurality of vanes mounted within the housing, a plurality of gear segments operatively connecting the said vanes, means for actuating the gear segments to move all the said vanes in unison into either of two opposite positions to outline right and left arrows in the form of an opening, and a screen contrasting in color with the said vanes, for daylight use positioned to the rear of said vanes and upon which the said direction signal is formed as outlined by said vanes.

8. A signal including two pairs of pivotally mounted vanes, one pair of the vanes being formed to outline the shank oi. an arrow in one position and the other pair of vanes having a corresponding position in which they cooperate with the first pair of vanes to form a transparency between the vanes outlining the head of an arrow, the vanes being formed so that when moved to the opposite position the first pair of vanes acts in conjunction with the second pair of vanes to form the head of the arrow and the second pair of vanes in the second position outlines the shank oi .the arrow, said vanes being capable of assuming a neutral position in which they form a figure of no significance.

9. In a signal, the combination of a plurality of vanes, all of said vanes having the same shape and size, means for actuating said vanes and for holding the same in three positions, including two difierent signaling positions and a neutral position, said vanes having a shape such that they are capable of forming an opening completely defined by the vanes in the shape of an arrow pointing in one direction in one of the signaling positions, and an arrow pointing in the other direction for the other signaling position, and a figure of no significance in said neutral position.

10. In a signal, the combination of a plurality oi! vanes, all of said vanes having the same shape and size, means for actuating said vanes and for holding the same in three positions, including two different signaling positions, tion, said vanes having a shape such that they are capable of defining the entire outline of an arrow pointing in one direction in one of the signaling positions, and an arrow pointing in the other direction in the other signaling position, and a figure of no significance in said neutral position, said vanes operating to form the entire outline of the edge of the signals in both signaling positions.

11. A signal constructed as described in claim 10 in which there are four vanes with means for connecting the same so that they all move in unison.

12. In a signal, the combination of a casing; a plurality of vane members mounted therein; 11- luminating means positioned in the casing behind the vane members, said vane members cooperating with each other to form an opening completely defined by the vane members and the lighting means to visually outline'a direction arrow when actuated to one position and outlining a second oppositely directed arrow when actuated to a second position.

13. In a signal, the combination of a housing; a screen mounted within the housing; lighting means positioned adjacent the screen; a set oi pivoted vane members positioned within the housing; means connecting the vanes together for movement in unison, the vanes being so formed that when moved to diflferent positions, they are all visible and define openings formed between the edges of the vanes against the screen in the shape 0! arrows indicating different directions.

HERBERT W. MILLER.

and a neutral posi- 

